What is the meaning of Luke 17:22? Then He said to the disciples Jesus directs this word specifically to His followers, those who have already committed to Him. By doing so, He anchors the promise—and the warning—inside the circle of faith, not outside it. In Luke 12:32 He reassures them, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom,” yet here He balances that comfort with sober realism. Similar classroom-style moments appear in John 13:14–15, where He both instructs and prepares them for what lies ahead. The time is coming This phrase is prophetic and definite. Christ is not guessing about the future; He is stating it with certainty. In John 4:23 He uses the same wording—“A time is coming and has now come”—to predict true worship in Spirit and truth. Likewise, Acts 1:7 reminds us that “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.” These verses together affirm that God’s timeline is pre-set, trustworthy, and literal. when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man “The days of the Son of Man” point to seasons when Jesus is openly, bodily present and reigning. The disciples would crave: • the visible fellowship they once enjoyed (Luke 24:36–40) • the vindication of Christ’s authority (Matthew 24:27) • relief from persecution (John 16:2) • the full establishment of His kingdom (Acts 1:6) This longing is echoed later by Paul, who speaks of “all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8), and by John in Revelation 22:20, “Come, Lord Jesus!” The yearning itself is healthy, revealing hearts set on Christ’s return rather than earthbound comforts. but you will not see it The delay is real. Most of these first-generation disciples would taste martyrdom before the Second Coming (see 2 Peter 3:4, “Where is the promise of His coming?”). Yet the absence of immediate fulfillment is not failure; it is God’s deliberate patience (2 Peter 3:9). Believers therefore learn to: • walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) • rejoice even when unseen (1 Peter 1:8) • serve faithfully in the interim (Luke 19:13) Christ bluntly acknowledges that desire may go unmet in their earthly lifetime, yet He still calls them to steadfastness. summary Luke 17:22 offers a candid, comforting realism. Jesus tells His disciples that while a literal, glorious future day of His visible reign is certain, there will be an intervening season of absence in which they will ache for His return. That longing refines faith, anchors hope, and fuels obedience until the moment the sky finally splits and “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7). |
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